Paper Fireflies
by scribls
Summary: A drabble collection. Zuko. Song.
1. Fireflies

**Disclaimer:** _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the property of Nickelodeon and/or other parties. No copyright infringement intended.

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**Fireflies**

She remembered the night they left; remembered the fireflies. She saw him take Wei, her family's ostrich horse. She saw him beckoning to his uncle. She saw them leave, and she did nothing about it.

The screen door slid closed, ending a brief sojourn; but the fireflies that drifted in through her window, floating about like suspended stars in the hazy darkness of her room, reminded her of him and her own lingering disappointment.

She slept, but could not forget.

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Author's Note: Song's "ostrich horse" has no name in the series, so for all purposes hereafter, I will be using "Wei," unless I decide to change it or the series gives it a name. In Mandarin Chinese, "Wei" means "power," "might," and "prestige." This refers to its Earth Kingdom origin. Ironically, when using other characters for "Wei," it can also mean "the bright shining of the Sun," "raging fire," or "radiance of fire." Quite appropriate for both Song and Zuko, I believe. 


	2. Bamboo

**Disclaimer: **_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the property of Nickelodeon and/or other parties. No copyright infringement intended.

Author's Note: Zuko-centric. A hypothetical.

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**Bamboo **

_One smooth stroke._

A creation begins with just that. One followed by another. The ink guided by the brush, the brush guided by the hand, and the hand guided by a peaceful mind.

"_It's a waste of time. He should be practicing firebending, not indulging in that **worthless** pastime."_

But preparation comes first, so he sets the paper upon the table. Around it, he places a few brushes, two cups of water, and a piece of cloth. After grinding up a quarter of the black ink stick, he begins the delicate task of mixing the powder with water.

"_It's not worthless, Zuko. I **love** your paintings. Every single one of them has a little bit of you in it." _

Finished with the ink, he picks up one of the brushes. With one deft movement, he dips the brush into the depthless liquid and holds it suspended over the paper. Just as the first drop is about to fall, his hand makes the plunge.

"_Is that all you're good at, Zuzu? No wonder Dad thinks you're a **failure**! All you can do is paint stupid pictures."_

He hasn't painted since his mother left, but as soon as the ink seeps into the paper, as soon as he feels the grains of paper beneath his brush, his arm remembers the motions, and his eye, the essence of the image.

"_Let the **qi** flow onto the paper, Prince Zuko. A painting must have life!"_

With the last strokes drying, he takes out his seals. Pressing them into bright, red ink, he glances over his work, finding suitable places for them to rest.

_"Remember, Prince Zuko, it is not rigid symmetry that you are striving for, it is **balance**."_

He rolls up the paper into a scroll and sets out.

--Epilogue-- 

He sees her there, by a vendor selling small trinkets. He goes up and thrusts the scroll out at her.

"Oh!" She is surprised. "For me?"

He nods. She takes the scroll and unrolls it. It is a picture of bamboo.

_"It's like **you**, bending, but not breaking."_

She looks up and smiles.

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A/N: The italicized parts (except the first sentence) are fictional quotes from Zuko's past. In order, they are said by Ozai, Ursa, Azula, Zuko's fictional painting teacher, and Iroh. The last one is subject to interpretation. Key words are bolded.

About the "epilogue." It's like an attachment to the drabble. This drabble is too short for an actual epilogue, but I needed a transition and I didn't have a better word.

Formatting revised! Actually, there were some slight edits to the piece to make it flow a bit smoother.

A seal is a type of stamp/signature. Wikipedia has a pretty good article on it (search Chinese seals).

The "bending but not breaking" is one the most popular aspect of bamboo symbolism. Song can be represented by bamboo, as can Ursa. However, bamboo is a masculine symbol, the feminine being _mei_ (plum). Together they can represent the husband and wife (coughSokocough). The way I see it, Zuko giving Song a picture of bamboo is like giving a part of himself, or giving her something to remind her of him.


	3. Gold

**Disclaimer: **_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the property of Nickelodeon and/or other parties. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Thanks to all readers and reviewers. This will probably be the last drabble, as the Zuko/Jin development has put a twist in things. I do have other plans for Song, however.

The two "drabbles" below describe the same situation (or mood/snapshot/moment) with the theme being "Gold." Whereas "Bamboo" is primarily a study of concept, this and "Fireflies" are studies of writing style.

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**Gold**

**-1-**

His eyes widen in shock as he sees the burn scars on my leg. He looks up at me and we hold each other's gaze as we bask under hazy, paper-filtered light. A thought floats into my mind.

_His eyes are the color of gold…_

**-2-**

Here, under a paper lantern with our backs awash in maize, I finally notice that his eyes are the color of gold.

**

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A/N: Version 2 is more of a 50 Sentence challenge kind of thing.


	4. An Old Myth

**Disclaimer: **_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the property of Nickelodeon and/or other parties. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** I guess it wasn't the last one. :) Something that just came to me. Well, the first line anyway.

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**An Old Myth**

Somewhere between the light and the dark, between the smothered fire and the smoldering earth, she saw him. And whether by the tangible meeting of their eyes or the ethereal embrace of their souls, they were and always would be…one. But the world would not allow them this one transgression, so the river of time carried them apart. What is not deathless?

Perhaps in the next life…

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**A/N:** Some kind of philosophical, I guess. "Tangible" here means "real" or "observable" (as opposed to imaginary). I'm sure you can provide your own answer to the question. 


	5. Lantern

**Disclaimer: **_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the property of Nickelodeon and/or other parties. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Companion to "Fireflies."

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**Lantern**

He remembers their flames, luminous and serene encased within paper shells. Warm. He remembers looking out from underneath and thinking that their light didn't reach very far. Foolish. He remembers the feel of their beams against his back as he left. Cold, just like her disappointment.

As he rides through the rain, he cannot see them, but he knows they are there: silent beacons, gently guiding him home.


	6. the second time around

**Disclaimer:** _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the property of Nickelodeon and/or other parties. No copyright infringement intended.

**Author's Note:** "Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar is now my official Soko anthem. And thus, a new drabble!

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**the second time around**

One year later and he's back on her porch, one hand clutching a pouch of gold, the other at her door. This time, there's no ostrich-horse, no excuses, and no uncle to disappoint by doing the irreparably foolish.

"Can I help you?"

His hand freezes in mid-knock as her voice brushes the back of his ear. She's rounding the gate, a basket of herbs in her arm. He mumbles something incoherent and shoves the pouch at her as she approaches.

For a moment, the silence is overwhelming, but he keeps his eyes down until he feels a gentle pressure pushing back his hands. Her face is unreadable.

Sometime during the brief struggle that ensues, he manages to drop the bag in her basket. She blushes and plucks it off of the herbs.

"I... guess we're even, then."

He nods, expecting a liberating sense of relief to usher him away at any second, completely unscathed.

Then, her lips quirk into a smile, and he thinks that he couldn't have been more wrong.


End file.
